What Should Be In Your IFAK?

One of the most important purchases you will ever make is your Individual First Aid kit (IFAK). It really should be one of your “NEVER” leave home without it AND never be far from it EDC (everyday carry) item; right up there with a knife as something to always have within reach. In fact, you should have one at home, one in all your bags (BOB, NCHA, plate carrier, range, gun, camping, hunting, fishing), your car, boat, RV, ATV and even one on a bicycle, road or mountain. You never know when or where an accident will occur.

As to what should be in it, well, like other things it can be mission specific but there is a basic set of items that every mission may require:

1. The training to use each component correctly. This cannot be overstressed. Every medical professional from a military corpsman to EMT to nurse to doctor knows the first rule is “non nocere” – do no harm. Know each component and how to properly use it. This really is life or death. Classes are available everywhere and it may prove to be the best one you ever took.
2. One sterile sponge or equivalent to stop bleeding
3. One Hemostatic Agent to control bleeding, gauze is replacing the granules as they can be difficult to work with outdoors in wind or in rotor wash.
4. A Tourniquet
5. Chest Seals – set of two, to address both entry and exit wounds
6. Two compression bandages, one that can also function as an emergency sling
7. Compressed gauze, z-folded for size
8. Trauma Shears
9. Waterproof medical tape
10. Rubber gloves, large enough not to break

Consider also adding a second tourniquet, perhaps a Swat-T or SOF-T as they have so many practical applications, or an Israeli Bandage. Also investigate the newer multi-stage deployment packs that are much faster to deploy allowing better access to all the components. All should have MOLLE or MALICE Clips for attaching to your backpack, bags and plate carriers.

Be safe out there and remember the rule of ABC.